"Abby Bell"

This past year, a good friend asked me to paint a portrait of her favorite horse. Commission pieces are always a bit nerve racking, as one hopes to come close to capturing the vision in your client's mind. However, I do love horses, and this painting turned out to be an enjoyable experience. Abbey Bell's owner enthusiastically said I had nailed her personality...no greater compliment to me!

Bald Eagles in the Columbia Gorge

January brings frigid temperatures to our region, but it also brings the winter migration of bald eagles to the Columbia River. This particular eagle was fishing in the vicinity of The Dalles Dam. My husband, Dale, photographed it late in the day, the low sun back lighting the wings and body. In the resulting watercolor, my aim was to portray the strength and grace of these amazing raptors.

More Horses

This watercolor is called "Raising the Colors". It is a slice of life from our Fort Dalles Rodeo, a high point of The Dalles summertime experience. These gals and their steeds begged to be painted!

A Soft Spot in my Heart for Horses

Growing up on a farm allowed me to experience the companionship of horses. Although I longer have the pleasure of a horse in my daily life, but I will always have an abiding love for them. It is a joy to paint an equine subject, and really study their beautiful form. This painting is titled "Good Company".

Finished Painting

I'm glad to have completed this watercolor before December 25th. It's my visual Christmas card to everyone. All that's left is the title. I'm thinking "New Snow" or "Cascade Mountain Deer". Let me know which one you like.

Merry Christmas to All!

Painting the Deer

Yikes...these deer have been a challenge to paint, especially the foreshortened face of the doe. I usually don't focus on one area of the painting, but move around to develop several areas. In the case of animals, if their image doesn't start out right, why continue? (That's when I flip the botched watercolor over, and use the fresh, unused side of the paper. No waste, and another chance to bring my depiction to light.)

Every painting I start is like completing a puzzle. Each one has unique demands to solve. I'll post more on this winter scene as I make progress.

New Work n Progress

Watercolor in Stages

I thought I would show how I go about developing a watercolor. I started by put a masking agent on the foreground and deer, and painted in a loose background. The masking was then removed, and I painted a light wash of raw sienna in the shadowed areas of the animals. My process is one of applying layers of pigment glazes to achieve rich colors and depth.

I've never painted deer as the main focus of a piece. Challenging, but exciting!

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